‘I didn’t mean to imply that you were spoilt. I appreciate the Mondelli name has been a mixed blessing for you.’

‘And the Markos name?’ she said, glad to be able to turn the conversation onto him. ‘Has that been a mixed blessing for you?’

He raised a shoulder. ‘The Markos name is nothing special. It doesn’t stand for anything.’

‘Yes, it does. It stands for hard work, determination and guts.’

‘Guts?’

‘Rocco told me you got into Columbia on a scholarship. That alone tells me how hard you’ve had to work to get where you are.’

‘We all have our crosses to bear, whatever background we’re born into,’ he said quietly. He tapped on the dividing window. Amidst a hail of tooting horns, the car came to a stop. ‘We will walk from here.’

* * *

paper table-cloths were crammed inside and out, every one of them taken. Inside, a man played an accordion, the music only just audible above the raucous noise of the patrons, while pictures of celebrities lined the walls in

pot belly she’d ever seen ambled over to them, his arms outstretched. In a flurry of Greek,

doesn’t speak any English or

from Christian’s hold and yanked into Mikolaj’s embrace, which finished with an affectionate ruffle of her hair, much as

comfortably—although how comfortable anyone could be when crammed like a sardine was debatable. He plonked a

to move them but realised

her neck around, trying to ignore the heat brushing up her legs. ‘This place is

his eyebrows. ‘You like

is exactly how I imagined a Greek restaurant to be. You can feel the

to that point. Although unfailingly polite, a barrier had been put up. Was it being here, in his home city, that had caused its construction? Or had she been so wrapped up in her own problems that she hadn’t fully appreciated the effect their situation was having

place apart from the food?’ he said. ‘It’s tourist-proof—all

me you

This is all

a Monday evening, hardly the

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